Thursday, January 20, 2011

Brooklyn (CN) - Verizon sued three Long Island towns on behalf of observant Jews. The villages prohibit the phone company from posting "lechis" on utility poles - little strips that create an "eruv," or zone where Orthodox Jews can carry objects or push baby carriages or wheelchairs to synagogue on the Sabbath and on Yom Kippur.

Verizon New York and co-plaintiff Long Island Lighting Co. say the towns must allow Orthodox Jews to tie the lechis to utility poles, to comply with religious observances. Read on...

There are observant Jews in the Village of Westhampton Beach who have had to hire gentiles to push their baby carriages, strollers and wheelchairs alongside them so they could attend synagogue on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur.

But a federal lawsuit filed last week — which is leading to renewed tensions between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews in the East End resort area — is designed to put an end to that. If successful, it would allow congregants to erect an eruv, or symbolic boundary, that would permit them to perform such actions, as well as the carrying of such things as house keys, reading glasses, books and identification outside of the home without violating Jewish law. Read on...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Garden City, N.Y. — A long-simmering controversy over whether Orthodox Jews can place a religious symbol on utility poles in a Hamptons community on eastern Long Island appears headed to court.

Attorneys for the East End Eruv Association have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming officials in the town of Southampton and villages of Westhampton Beach and Quogue are intentionally infringing on their religious freedom by not allowing the placement of an "eruv." Read on...

The battle over a symbolic religious boundary in the Hamptons is heating up again.

The East End Eruv Association filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Thursday claiming that local officials are infringing on their religious freedom by not allowing them to create an eruv encircling Quogue, Westhampton Beach and unincorporated areas of Southampton Town. An eruv is typically delineated by U-shaped PVC piping on utility poles and allows observant Jewish people to push and carry objects on the Sabbath, activities usually forbidden. Read on...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The East End Eruv Association issued a press release Wednesday afternoon saying that it has filed lawsuits against the Village of Quogue, the Village of Westhampton Beach and the Town of Southampton. The association is arguing that their constitutional and civil rights have been violated in their effort to create a symbolic eruv boundary around the municipalities.

“Our efforts for rational discussion and fair treatment have been met with harsh words and obvious discrimination,” said Marvin Tenzer, president EEEA in the release. “These villages and town are violating our constitutional and civic rights by engaging in an active campaign to obstruct our ability to practice our religion.” Read on...

An Orthodox Jewish group trying to erect an eruv in the Hamptons filed a suit in federal court Thursday, alleging that local officials are discriminating against them and violating their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

The East End Eruv Association is suing officials in the villages of Westhampton Beach and Quogue, as well as Southampton town. Read on...

Advocates looking to establish a largely symbolic religious boundary in western Southampton Town filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court on Thursday, alleging that local elected officials are discriminating against Jewish people by blocking the boundary’s establishment, according to the litigation.

The East End Eruv Association, a not-profit group that has been pushing for the establishment of the boundary, called an eruv, since last year, and a handful of local residents are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which, among other things, demands that the villages of Westhampton Beach and Quogue, as well as Southampton Town, drop all objections to the boundary’s establishment. Read on...

Monday, January 03, 2011

The Long Island Power Authority and Verizon have yet to respond to correspondence from the Village of Quogue and Town of Southampton regarding a proposal by the East End Eruv Association to create an eruv boundary on utility poles around parts of Quogue, Westhampton Beach and the Town of Southampton.﻿

An eruv is symbolic boundary erected so Torah-observant Orthodox Jews can push strollers or engage in tasks otherwise not allowed on the Sabbat﻿h. Read on...